The Butterfly Queen
by xXUsEdXx
Summary: -Rewritten- When a ghost from Gray's past returns, she brings more than just old memories. There was always more to her, something that he could never place...
1. Chapter 1

_So yes. I decided to rewrite The Butterfly Queen._

* * *

 _No one knew where this small girl had come from, for she had just appeared as if from thin air. What was remarkable about this mere slip of a girl was not the fact that she wore tattered clothes, wore no shoes, nor seem to have any connection to anyone—it was the tattoo that can be seen upon her shoulder, trailing down her arm in a rune-like pattern, depicting the shape of butterflies. Her dark hair hung in her face, obscuring her vision. She was left alone and, strangely enough, she never initiated conversation nor did she ever come in contact with another human being. Until one day…_

 _Her body fell against the hard ground as her body made contact with another, slightly taller human. She could scarcely see past the strands of her hair until she saw the adult of the group kneel down and reach out a hand. The girl flinched, expected harm, only to gasp softly at the soft touch, pushing her unruly hair from her eyes._

 _She would never forget that smile. Nor would she ever forget the two children accompanying the woman, as the girl grew close to one of the boys._

" _Why do you have those things on your arm anyway?" he had asked when he saw the patterns adorning her flesh. His fingers reached out, pressing against the imprinted flesh of her arm._

 _The girl traced her marking where he touched—her blessing, her curse. "Have you ever heard of the Butterfly Queen?" she asked him softly, her eyes flickering to his._

" _No. Are you going to tell me?"_

" _You'll have to play a game to get the answer. You win, then I'll tell you."_

 _The boy smirked._ " _What's the game?"_

 _A buzzing sensation invaded the girl's limb. Thrill. She smiled slightly at the boy, barely suppressing a giggle when a dust of pink coated his cheeks. "Chase."_

Jerking upward with a sharp gasp through her teeth, a seventeen-year-old girl sat in her bed, sweat dripping from her temples. With a soft groan, she brought her knees up to her chest, resting her elbows upon her knees as her fingers kneaded against her temple.

 _Why the hell was she remembering this now?_

"Dammit," she whispered, wiping away the sweat from her forehead. "I could do without those memories."

With a sigh, she pushed herself off of her bed and walked into the bathroom. She gripped the sink, feeling the cold porcelain against her palms. It was something she was familiar with—anchoring herself with anything she could grip in her own two hands. Her eyes rose to the mirror, glaring at her reflection reproachfully. The markings on her arm glowed eerily, making them seem more pronounced even in the presence of no one. Clicking her tongue, impatient with herself, she turned away from glass.

There was a time when she had made companions. That was the only time she was happy that she could almost explain why she was cursed. But then they were gone and, even now, she could remember the abject terror that she had frightened them away somehow. That she gave away too much of herself too willingly.

She _wasn't_ normal. She knew that, even if _they_ hadn't known back then.

She glanced to the window, crossing her arms over her chest as her blond hair fell over her shoulder. The sun was just beginning to rise- a further annoyance to being plagued by unnecessary memories. That was part of the reason why she had come to Magnolia: to escape from every single memory that would have nearly defined her had she remained in the town before. She was no longer a child, tears no longer fell from her eyes. She was a stranger in Magnolia, as well as a stranger to its citizens. It was time for her to know her new home.

* * *

The sky was beautiful. Clear and cloudless. She reached up, stretching, her shoulders popping. The street was crowded with people, whose faces—to her—were an anonymous blur, all because she doesn't know them yet. They don't have to know her right away just yet—after all, she was a brunette before she had arrived in Magnolia. She had to ingratiate herself, slow and careful. She didn't want to give herself away again.

And she also had a craving for sweets right now. With a small smile, she steered herself to the vendor that sold strawberries. She loved strawberries and she wanted to have some to snack on while she did her errands today. She promptly went to the stand and paid for a box of strawberries and gently put the box in her large, shoulder bag. She thanked the vendor before continuing on her way.

If she squinted, she could see the Fairy Tail guildhall from where she was. She had heard of the guild by reputation, so she was filled with curiosity of what really went on in the place. There was nothing wrong with detouring to sate her kittenish curiosity, was it?

She walked toward the guildhall, her steps quick, yet her posture was cautious. If the wizards in the place were as rowdy as their reputation stated, she didn't want to be lax in her guard. Then again, she was never really lax in her guard to begin with, but it wouldn't hurt to continue being that way. She was a young lady on her own; she had to protect herself. The hall was coming closer to view as she approached. _Damn, the place is huge…just how many wizards are bloody in there?_ She thought as she drew closer to the doors. She could hear the ruckus from outside, yet she didn't want to peek inside just then.

However, her curiosity was strong. Her fingers were inching for the door before she was struck dumb. She inhaled sharply, nerves were thrumming so much that they practically vibrated. She knew this feeling, remembered it with startling clarity.

Thrill. Like she was still being chased, yet the one who was supposed to chase her hadn't even done so in nine years. But here was no way…

 _It can't be…_ She reached for the doors again, her hand hovering just shy of the surface, wondering if she should go in after all, debating with her inner turmoil.

She hadn't seen him for nine years. She didn't know where he could possibly be. While it was possible for him to be Magnolia, just the thought of it struck a cord of absurdity in her. It would be a lucky coincidence for something like that, something that happened in storybooks.

Before she could even come up with a final decision, as frustrated as she was with herself, the door had opened and she jumped back, her hand flying to her chest in shock. People were coming out.

Four people, no five…Two boys, three girls, and a blue cat with wings. While her brain was questioning on the cat, the group had noticed her.

"Hi," one of the girls—a blonde—greeted, smiling. "Are you planning on going in?"

"It was debated." While she was glad that this girl—this strangely bubbly, curvaceous girl—was greeting her like she had come visiting for ages, she didn't like the familiarity in her tone. It unnerved her for reasons she could date back to as a child.

"If you plan on wanting to join the guild," this came from the redhead girl, wearing armor, "you should go in and talk to the master."

She had a feeling this redhead female was the authoritarian of this group. "Noted," she responded before raking her eyes to everyone else. One of the boys had rose-colored hair, a scarf seemingly made of scales-Oh! The nickname came to her. This boy had to be the Salamander of Fairy Tail. He didn't look too dangerous…

She cast her eyes to the other male. Black hair, dark eyes…She frowned. Familiarity hummed in her veins, her mind stuck in a haze. She knew him…

"Are we having a problem?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her, his voice tinted with a challenge. Just like…

The thrill reared its head once more, this time jolting her limbs as though she had been electrocuted. The haze in her mind cleared just as a storm breaking. They were children; he had asked about her mark, his touch still lingering from where his fingers pressed to her skin. He was supposed to chase the rabbit for the answer. Then he had disappeared with the other two, leaving her alone…

Her vision swam. She remembered his name and before she could stop herself, it escaped her in a soft, shaking breath.

"Gray."

There was something in his eyes—a flash of recognition. Here, then gone.

"It can't be," he muttered, stepping forward to get a closer look at her. "There's no way. It can't be you…"

Her heart thundered in her chest, her watery eyes locked on his. She felt this kind of exhilaration before, only around him. She couldn't hold in her tears as they slowly dripped down her face.

Before he could get close, before he could reach out a hand to her, she turned and ran as though for her life.

* * *

Gray could only stare in shock and confusion as the girl fled, her dark-blonde hair flying behind her before she completely disappeared from his view into the sea of bodies. His heart was pounding, millions of questions trying to assort themselves.

It couldn't be her. Yet when she whispered his name, when she started to cry…

"Did you know her, Gray-san?" asked Wendy, looking up at him. Her question was on everyone's mind, he knew. It was on his own, even though he knew better.

That was something Gray wondered himself. It was her face, definitely, but her hair color was different. And he couldn't see the mark that would definitely prove it was the same girl from his memories. But his gut was telling him that knew this girl. "I think so," he answered finally. "From a long time ago."

"How long are we talking? I mean, she bailed at the sight of you," Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head. "What'd you do, scare her off with your stripping back then?"

"Idiot," Gray muttered in reply, crossing his arms.

"We have a mission to do, so we can save the questions for another time," Erza said firmly. "Let's go."

As no one challenges the Queen of the Fairies, the group was on the move. Gray, however, found his mind alternating between the little brunette girl he met while training under Ur and the ash-blonde girl she seemed to grow into.

But her name was finally coming back to him, after long years of separation.

 _What's Zephyra doing in Magnolia?_

* * *

Zephyra slammed the door to her apartment shut, her back against the door as she tried to catch her breath, her tears still falling steadily from her eyes. Her bag slid off her shoulders and to the floor with a loud _thunk_ , as she slowly sank to the floor.

 _How can this be? How could he be here, part of a guild?_ The last time she's seen him, he was no taller than she was! Zephyra banged her fists against her forehead. "Stupid, stupid!" she moaned, shutting her eyes tightly. "I could have done without this! Why now? After all these years, why now?!"

 _Shut up,_ her mind snapped, contradicting her words, _you had hoped to see him again. Admit it!_

If she was honest with herself, Zephyra would have admitted it—she hoped to see Gray again after the brief encounter in their past, to at least patch up the friendship they had.

 _Wait! He freaking left, not telling me anything!_ She pounded her fists against her temples. What's to repair after what was clearly an abandonment of friendship? He left her alone, breaking a promise he made to her.

Why did things seem to explode right in her face? _Oh, right, I turned tail and ran for my life. Smooth._

She had never been so torn between two moods in her life. Part of her wanted to be happy. Another part of her wanted to beat the hell out of him. Which made no sense in context, now that she thought about it. With a huff, Zephyra pushed herself to her feet, scooping up her bag in her arms. She wiped furiously at her eyes, brushing away stray tears. She should have planned this better.

 _Plan what, exactly?_ She didn't expect her long-ago friend to suddenly drop back into her life. Who exactly was she kidding here? He looked just as shocked as she was—so they were in the same boat. But right now, in her mind, their roles in the game were suddenly switched. Now she was the one chasing the rabbit.

 _That doesn't make this any better._ Zephyra sat at her kitchen table, dropping her bag, and promptly dropped her head against the granite top. Thus a blow to her traitorous little twit of an organ she called a heart. She exhaled a breath. She couldn't just leave this blunder of a reunion as it is. Now that Gray knew she was here, she could bet one million jewels that he would try and find her, to find out why she was here. If she remembered a trait she liked about him in their brief companionship, it was his determination.

It was either determination or stupidity, really, but either way she liked that about him.

Zephyra raised her head up and rubbed at the sore spot on her forehead as she raised her eyes to the ceiling. She exhaled again. She was horrible at being a human, feeling as a human, because she wasn't one. Not really…

 _Stop._ No one was supposed to know anything, especially not that. It was the very secret that would result in her death if she revealed to just anybody. She would not risk the chance, not even to tell the truth about herself. She wouldn't put him in danger that way.

 _And yet, he is so sure I'm human…_ How ironic. Zephyra sighed for the umpteenth time. She got herself into this mess by being too relaxed in her guard. She may as well make the most of it until she could do the disappearing this time. Yet, even the thought of leaving sent a sharp pang in her heart and she rubbed her chest. _I guess I haven't let go…_ Zephyra thought to herself as she sat on her couch, idly flicking her wrist to and fro lazily. With a sigh, she gave a sharp flick and magic began to swirl around her open palm. Slowly, a small wreath of flowers began to grow from the air, blossoming one by one. Smiling softy, she watched as the wreath fell into her hands before she placed it upon her head.

She remembered doing this as a child, at the time wondering how she could create something so fragile with something so monstrous…

Unconsciously, she pulled up her sleeve, revealing bits of her unusual marking at a time before resting her index finger against it. The tip of her finger slowly traced the markings softly, a familiar path.

 _He did that once._ How unusual that she'd remember that moment vividly. She was seven, and she recalled Gray tracing her mark. She had moved her arm away, not used to gentle contact from anyone who could overpower her. Zephyra's marks hadn't been mentioned until Gray's teacher had asked about its origins. Zephyra hadn't known what the origins were, just remembered having the mark for her life. Soon, though, it didn't matter. To them, it was just a part of her, something that made her unique for the first time in a long time. They let her hang around, visiting whenever she felt the need to because of how close she and Gray had gotten. She remembered her face turning red when he promised her she wouldn't have to be alone again, before…

 _Can I get any more depressing?_ Zephyra smacked herself in the face, jolting the thought from her mind. _I'm bloody freaking different now!_

She couldn't just sit here and reminisce about old times. It was weak. She was not weak. Not anymore. She can handle whatever life throws at her, even if life threw the worst curveball ever. In this case, she's going to have to make the first move to throw the ball right back.


	2. Chapter 2

Gang, subdued. Reward money claimed.

Just another day's work.

Natsu stretched, popping his joints. "That job was too easy," he said, though no one heard any disappointment by the Salamander's grin.

"You almost destroyed the town in the process," said Lucy, sighing at the energetic fire dragon slayer. She had long grown used to Natsu's antics, but still he never failed to surprise her. It was a perk of being part of Fairy Tail.

Wendy fell into stride beside Erza. "I do agree with Natsu-san, though. It was a little too easy," she said.

"It's only because they weren't a large a group as we thought," Carla replied to the sky dragon slayer.

"Carla's right," Erza added shortly.

Gray had agreed on the easiness of the job, but now that it was complete, his mind could get back to trying to solve the puzzle that currently plagued him. If his gut was right, the girl was his old friend and she was understandably upset with him. Now he had to think of how to find her and explain himself-

"Isn't that the girl who ran away earlier?" Wendy suddenly asked as the group approached the guildhall, her eyes wide.

-Well, seems she didn't have the mindset for his plan.

She stood in front of guildhall, her hands behind her back, appearing to have been waiting for a while. Her head snapped up at the sound of them approaching, eyes flickering to the group, before her steely gaze landed on Gray.

Erza approached her first. "Miss, is there something you need?" she asked, to the point in a firm voice. The girl that so resembled his old friend cocked her head to the side, surveying Erza with curiosity. She didn't answer right away, but when she did, she exhaled a breath before speaking. "Yes, as a matter of fact, there is something." Her voice carried traces of a mysterious accent, something Gray vaguely remembered from their childhood.

"Got something to do with Gray?" Natsu spoke this time, his glare as well as his tone rimmed with suspicion for the strange female.

"You could say that." She addressed Natsu with the same look of curiosity before her eyes went to Gray. "Do you mind if we have a quick chat, you and I?" she asked him, her voice colder than any ice he could muster on his best day.

Gray sighed, but he could humor her if he wanted to amend things. It was only fair. "I don't mind at all."

"Gray, is that safe?" Lucy whispered to him, worry saturating her voice. "We don't know who she is, though she seems to recognize you."

"She's not dangerous." Gray was firm in this before meeting the girl's eyes. "Come on. We can take a walk while having this _chat_ ," he told her. She nodded and began to follow Gray as soon as he turned to take the lead. He could tell his friends were shocked, but couldn't be bothered with it now. They didn't know the girl like he had, could probably see her as dangerous-but he knew she would never harm anymore.

The silence between them was tense, heavier than the blackness of despair. That wasn't a good sign, was it?

Gray took in a breath to speak, but she beat him to it. "Do you know who I am?" she asked softly.

"…Yeah," he answered. "Although if I remembered right, you were a brunette."

"Right," Zephyra replied tersely before he could hear her pick up the pace to be in stride with him. "Did you always remember or just when you saw me again?"

Her voice was still cold. Not that he blamed her. "You want me to be honest?"

"I'd be lying if I said no."

"I remembered when I saw you outside the guild. It's been way too long since-"

"—Since you left without telling me."

Gray winced, but kept his pace. "Zeph, I…"

"I'm not after an apology," Zephyra cut in before he could even start, raising a hand. "I just wanted to know why you took off without telling me. For God's sake, I thought we were friends, Gray."

"We are," he replied firmly, but it coated his mouth like a lie. He hadn't been much of a friend to her. "We were also kids back then, Zeph. I was an idiot back then. I made a mistake by not telling you anything."

"Glad to know we both agree on something, _idiot_ ," Zephyra snapped, crossing her arms, her eyes narrowed. "I was left wondering why I suddenly lost the only friends I made. Had you been straight with me, we wouldn't be where we are now."

"I get that. Hell, if you wanna hit me to let out your frustration, then hit me."

"You know, that sounds _highly therapeutic_."

Gray scrubbed at his face with a sigh. Though, part of him was quite glad that she didn't hit him—

-until Zephyra's fist crashed into his face in a split second, the pain blinding, sending him sprawling to the ground _. Crap, spoke too soon._

Gray touched his cheek, wincing as the flesh throbbed beneath his fingers. That'll leave an impressive bruise—though the guys would laugh themselves stupid that he got it from a girl who wasn't Erza. He raised his eyes to Zephyra, only to blink surprise that she was wiping at her eyes. Was she…crying?

"Zeph?" he whispered, lowering his hand.

She glared at him, her eyes still watery. "What?" she bit out.

"I've never seen you lose it like that before."

"Shut up." She held out her hand to him. Tentatively, Gray took her hand and she hauled him back to his feet before she let his hand go. "Why did you go anyway? I'd figure you'd still be training under your teacher with Lyon," she said.

"Ur died because I was a reckless dumbass," Gray replied, lowering his hand from his face. "I went after Deliora and…" He stopped. Zephyra either guessed what had happened next or wasn't about to press him for any more information, for she remained quiet when he paused. He remembered how Ur had treated Zephyra when she, Lyon, and he had encountered her. Back then, Zephyra had recoiled at Ur's kindness like she's never experienced it before. It took her ages to even be calm around him, something that made he wonder why. Not that he took the time to ask; which was stupid on his part, now that he thought of it…

"You weren't keen on getting to know us back then. Why?" he asked, looking to her.

Zephyra bit her lip, averting her eyes. "…You wouldn't understand."

"Bullshit."

"If I knew you'd be able to understand, believe me, I'd tell you. But I know you won't."

"You _don't_ know that. Why don't you just come out and say it? Even after all these years, you don't trust me."

"I never said that, Gray."

"You know what's the kicker, Zeph? You don't have to."

Zephyra bit her lip again, the steeliness back in her eyes and something more…

Fear. That brought on waves of confusion coiling in Gray's body.

Just what was she scared of?

Gray felt anger spike in him in spite of himself. She wasn't responding to him now, which would mean she was either scared of him or she really never trusted him. It was hard to decipher which was valid with this girl.

"Fine," she finally muttered before turning on her heel and beginning to walk away, her ash-blonde hair flying behind her.

Gray reached out and grabbed her by the arm, the digits curling tightly around the flesh. "Zephyra, wait."

"Let go of me before I even up your face," Zephyra growled. Only the briefest of minutes of silence lasted before Gray released her slowly. The moment he did, she continued on her way, away from him. The minute she was out of his sight, Gray's hands curled into fists. "Dammit."

That hadn't gone well at all. Now she left angrier than she probably was than when he left back then…

Gray frowned slightly. Why had she gone to see them…?

He dug through his memories of her, a tiny thing with a strange tattoo on her arm. She preferred him compared to Lyon and she often watched him when he practiced ice make magic. He didn't know how to tell her about how Deliora killed his parents, didn't want to shatter whatever delusion of him made her eyes light up back then, like he was a hero.

At least until…

He shook his head violently, clearing the memory right from his mind. He couldn't think of that, not now, as he made his way back to Fairy Tail with a strange heaviness in his heart.

When Gray arrived back to the guild, his friends accosted him like they were piling up questions and was ready to explode like balloons.

"Who was that girl?" Natsu asked from where he sat, crossing his arms.

"A _girlfriend_?" chimed in Happy. Gray twitched, half a heartbeat away from slugging that damned cat. Like he needed a rumor of having a girlfriend flying around.

"Seriously, Gray, who was she?" asked Lucy, her eyes bright with curiosity. Gray sighed, feeling the need to just dismiss his entire conversation with Zephyra and smoking a cigarette. However, his friends were a rabidly curious bunch and wouldn't give him any peace until he answered their questions.

"Her name's Zephyra," he answered wearily, closing his eyes. "I met her while I was training with Ur and we were in town for supplies."

"Did she hit you?" asked Erza seriously, her eyes on his bruised cheek.

"Yeah," Gray answered, automatically rubbing his cheek, positive that it looked worse than it felt, "but to be fair, I was asking for it."

"Why?" asked Wendy, her eyes wide at the thought of an old friend of Gray's striking him like that.

"I left without telling her and we lost contact over the years. I figured she was still in the northern continent, managing on her own like usual." Even as he said this, he doubted it was true. At the time, he was so guilty about what happened to Ur that Zephyra was the furthest thing from his mind, which resulted in this mess that they were in now.

"She must've been pretty pissed off at you," Natsu commented dryly.

"Aye," Happy chirruped.

Gray glared at Natsu, but couldn't summon a retort because—and he wouldn't admit it aloud—Natsu was right. He exhaled a breath to calm himself down.

"Did you apologize at least?" asked Lucy, her eyebrows drawn over her eyes, her mouth set in a serious line.

"She didn't wanna hear it," he answered.

"She may have said that to you to seem like she didn't care."

"Believe me, she didn't care."

"Gray," Lucy sighed as though she were dealing with a child, "your friend cares more than you're probably even aware of."

"I agree," Erza said. "You should go and apologize properly."

"How can I do that if I don't even know where she is?" asked Gray, pointing out the obvious.

"She probably lives near the guild if she's able to show up on a whim," replied Erza. Gray had a feeling he wasn't going to win this argument with Erza—not that he was keen to try since Erza can ream him into next week. He stood up, irritated. "Fine. I'll go, but expect me to have my face even on both sides," he said.

Before he could walk away, Carla spoke, "Wait."

He turned to look at her, noticing that all eyes were on the female Exceed. Wendy frowned, her face creasing in concern. "Carla? What's wrong?"

Carla had an expression of sorrow on her face when her eyes met Gray's. "Something tragic is going to happen between you and your friend," she murmured. "Tread carefully."

For an ice wizard, Gray felt a chill in spite of himself.

* * *

That did not go as well as she had hoped. Zephyra had slowed her race-walking when she neared her apartment. She should have expected that question to come out of his mouth and his attempt to try and get it out of her.

 _Freaking idiot!_ Her mind snapped, not sure whom exactly she was calling an idiot. She really needed to start putting her thoughts into files. She stopped in front of her door, shut her eyes, and inhaled. If she caught his scent, it would mean he'd followed her and she'd need to get in her apartment before getting into his line of sight.

However, she didn't catch his scent. Which meant she was safe. For now. She unlocked the door and went inside, swiftly shutting and locking the door as a second instinct, leaning against the wood for support. Despite every warning thought telling her otherwise, she knew she was hiding from him in case he decided to look for her.

Though Zephyra did wonder if the Gray she had met as children remained within the man he had turned into. Something was different about him, she could feel it. The confidence he carried as a child was still there, but there was less brashness than what she remembered. She never pressed about how Ur's death was his fault or why he said it was because of him, despite the surprise at not finding him with his former master and fellow student, Lyon.

Yet Gray asked her a question she couldn't answer honestly. He would have been repulsed if he knew the reason she kept her distance from people...

A loud knock resounded on the door. Zephyra jumped, her heart racing in panic.

 _Did he follow after all?_ She thought, getting off of the door and slowly turning to look at it. She undid the lock with one hand and slowly turned the knob with the other, pulling the door open just a crack.

Her eyes widened in shock before the visitor shoved their way in, a sharp point against the column of her neck. "Found you," a low voice growled as the intruder slammed the door shut and turned the lock.

Zephyra tried to back away, but strong fingers wrapped around her arm to pull her close, the dagger's point digging into her neck as a soft whine bubbled in her throat. "Let me go, please."

"Oh no, no, no," murmured the stranger soothingly, though a twisted smirk curled his lips. "You have something we want."

A violent heat roiled in Zephyra's stomach, twisting her insides as the intruder aimed the dagger to her jugular. _No…not now…_ her mind whispered brokenly.

 _Not when I've found my peace…!_

Darkness swirled into her vision as the heat grew into an inferno and Zephyra knew no more.


End file.
